1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for booting an operating system from a virtual hard disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rapid development of information technology has lead to an increasing use of computers by individuals and businesses. As a result, computers are a ubiquitous tool for both personal and work related tasks. Conventionally, booting a computer refers to a process of running a basic input output system (BIOS) to detect system and peripheral components and loading an operating system (OS) into random access memory (RAM) from a physical hard disk for execution. The physical hard disk is a permanent, or non-volatile, data storage location, whereas the RAM is an impermanent, or volatile, data storage location. Volatile means that data contained within the RAM is lost when power is removed from the RAM.
Physical hard disks are relatively slow because physical disks have mechanical parts that allow for seeking to a particular position on the magnetic storage media to read and write data. In addition, physical hard disks are prone to mechanical failure, especially when the physical hard disk is subject to strong vibrations. One example of a hostile environment to physical hard disks is a point of sale device, such as a cash register system, which locates the physical hard disk above a cash drawer. The impact of the cash drawer opening and closing, as well as other impacts, such as breaking open rolls of coins on the cash drawer, vibrates the physical hard disk increasing failure rates.
Because physical hard disks have a high failure rate in environments where vibration is a problem, users may prefer solid-state systems, such as RAM chips. However, existing solid-state technologies either rely on flash RAM or battery-backed RAM chips. Writing to flash RAM chips is slow and the number of times data may be written to flash RAM chips is limited. Also, battery-backed RAM chips are generally very expensive.
A RAM virtual hard disk is a memory-resident program which mimics a physical hard disk using part of the computer's RAM to store data for faster access. A RAM virtual hard disk, in some cases, may read and write the same data thirty to sixty times faster than a physical hard disk. Because the OS is essential for running all other programs and applications residing in a computer or other type of data processing system, such as a point of sale device, it is essential to boot the OS as quickly as possible in some instances to reduce down time. However, the OS is not currently able to boot from the virtual hard disk. Booting the OS from the virtual hard disk may provide an extremely fast system boot, thus reducing system down time.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for booting an operating system from a virtual hard disk, which is implemented in RAM.